The soldier was named Iñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola, more commonly known as Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). And, that cannonball changed the trajectory of Ignatius’s life setting him on the pathway from soldier to saint. With nothing to do during his long convalescence but read, and with nothing to read but a Bible, a Life of Christ, and a Lives of the Saints book, Ignatius began the process of discerning God’s Will in his life. Ultimately, as the saying goes, the rest is history: He discerned a call to the religious life, to the priesthood, and to Saintdom.
Saints_Aplenty is celebrating The Ignatian Year (20 May 2021-31 July 2022) which commemorates Ignatius’s conversion with several new collections! First up is Ignatius Loyola: From Soldier To Saint:
